U.S. patent application number 10/608181 was filed with the patent office on 2004-05-06 for 406 mhz emergency beacon with in-band homing transmitter.
Invention is credited to Street, William A..
Application Number | 20040087284 10/608181 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32469257 |
Filed Date | 2004-05-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040087284 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Street, William A. |
May 6, 2004 |
406 MHz emergency beacon with in-band homing transmitter
Abstract
A search and rescue beacon includes a main transmitter
transmitting a Cospas-Sarsat signal at a main frequency and an
auxiliary homing transmitter transmitting a homing signal at a
homing frequency close to the main frequency. Advantageously both
the Cospas-Sarsat signal and the homing signal are generated by a
single synthesizer switching between a main Cospas-Sarsat burst
transmission and a continuous homing frequency transmission of the
homing signal. The Cospas-Sarsat signal is advantageously
transmitted at a higher power than the homing signal. The single
synthesizer may use a single amplifier chain. The single
synthesizer and amplifier chain may use a single antenna.
Inventors: |
Street, William A.;
(Kelowna, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ANTONY C. EDWARDS
SUITE 800
1708 DOLPHIN AVENUE
KELOWNA
BC
V1Y 9S4
CA
|
Family ID: |
32469257 |
Appl. No.: |
10/608181 |
Filed: |
June 30, 2003 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60422894 |
Nov 1, 2002 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
455/125 ;
342/385; 455/102; 455/103 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01S 1/68 20130101; G01S
5/0226 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
455/125 ;
342/385; 455/102; 455/103 |
International
Class: |
H04B 001/04; G01S
001/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A search and rescue beacon comprising a main transmitter
transmitting a Cospas-Sarsat signal at a main frequency and an
auxiliary homing transmitter transmitting a homing signal at a
homing frequency close to said main frequency.
2. The beacon of claim 1 wherein both said Cospas-Sarsat signal and
said homing signal are generated by a single synthesizer switching
between a main Cospas-Sarsat burst transmission and a continuous
homing frequency transmission of said homing signal.
3. The beacon of claim 1 wherein said main frequency is within the
406-406.1 MHz band.
4. The beacon of claim 2 wherein said main frequency is within the
406-406.1 MHz band.
5. The beacon of claim 3 wherein said homing frequency is dedicated
in a lower part of a 406-406.1 MHz frequency band.
6. The beacon of claim 3 wherein said homing frequency is dedicated
in an upper part of a 406-406.1 MHz frequency band.
7. The beacon of claim 4 wherein said homing frequency is dedicated
in a lower part of a 406-406.1 MHz frequency band.
8. The beacon of claim 4 wherein said homing frequency is dedicated
in an upper part of a 406-406.1 MHz frequency band.
9. The beacon of claim 2 wherein said single synthesizer uses a
single amplifier chain.
10. The beacon of claim 9 wherein said single synthesizer and
amplifier chain use a single antenna.
11. The beacon of claim 1 wherein said homing signal is transmitted
at a lower power than said Cospas-Sarsat signal.
12. The beacon of claim 11 wherein said homing signal is
transmitted at approximately 50 milli-watts.
13. The beacon of claim 2 wherein said homing signal is transmitted
at a lower power than said Cospas-Sarsat signal.
14. The beacon of claim 13 wherein said homing signal is
transmitted at approximately 50 milli-watts.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional
Patent Application No. 60/422,894 filed Nov. 1, 2002 entitled 406
MHz Emergency Beacon with In-Band Homing Transmitter.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] An emergency beacon is provided that incorporates an
auxiliary transmitter, which is very close in frequency to 406 MHz,
for use as a homing signal.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Emergency beacons operating at 406 MHz have seen worldwide
acceptance over the past decade or so. The 406 MHz beacon
population is over 250,000, and the Cospas-Sarsat (C-S) satellites
and system infrastructure have seen significant improvements over
the years. The C-S system is likely to be around for a long time.
However, reference to C-S herein is intended to encompass any
similar system which may replace the present C-S system within the
term of this patent.
[0004] Although C-S requirements only addresses the 406 MHz portion
of the beacons, most national authorities require the use of an
auxiliary 121.5 MHz, low power, homing transmitter in all beacons.
Prior to 406 MHz technology becoming widely available, 121.5
MHz-only beacons were used. The 121.5 MHz-only beacons are being
phased out. Recently C-S decided to terminate the satellite
processing of 121/243 MHz signals based on recommendations from the
International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International
Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). This means that existing 121.5
MHz-only beacon users have to switch to a 406 MHz beacon.
[0005] Currently, to the best of applicant's knowledge all 406 MHz
beacons have a 121.5 MHz transmitter that is used as a homing
signal for aiding search and rescue (SAR) aircraft for homing the
last few kilometres into the beacon. Technical problems, such as
set out below, experienced during development of these beacons have
mostly been overcome, but the developments have added cost and
complexity to the beacon. Operational problems, such as when a user
decides to hold his emergency position indicating radio beacon
(EPIRB) instead of allowing it to float, still cause problems.
[0006] When an activated EPIRB is held by a survivor in a life
raft, the transmitted signal may be attenuated significantly enough
to preclude reception by the SAR airplane or helicopter. This
defeats the purpose of having a homing signal in the beacon. The
problem arises from the fact that most EPIRBs have an antenna that
is optimized for 406 MHz operation, thus resulting in an
electrically short antenna at 121.5 MHz which is very narrowband
and very dependent on the water, which is acting as the antenna's
ground plane, for proper radiation characteristics. When it is
operated out of the water, the antenna is detuned (presenting a
severe mismatch to the output power amplifier) and the ground plane
effect is removed resulting in a reduction in the radiated signal.
As beacons have become physically smaller over the years, this
problem has been made worse. The 121.5 MHz homing transmitter in
406 beacons has been the cause of many problems. Such problems
range from designing to meet the multitude of stringent signal
parameters to the generation of harmonics causing interference
problems in location protocol beacons. In the case of emergency
locator transmitters (ELTs), energy from the aircraft VHF radio
would be rectified in the unpowered ELT's 121.5 MHz output stage
and produce an interfering signal for the aircraft's global
positioning system (GPS) receiver. Overcoming these problems has
added cost and complexity to 406 beacons. Problems have plagued
121.5 MHz beacons even long before the introduction of the superior
406 MHz technology.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] This invention provides a SAR beacon with a homing
transmitter transmitting at a frequency close to the frequency of
the main C-S signal. Both signals are generated by a single
synthesizer switching between the main C-S burst transmission and
the continuous homing frequency transmission close in frequency.
This will alleviate many of the technical issues and operation
issues that the 121.5 MHz transmitters have caused.
[0008] Homing equipment operating at 406 MHz is not new; however,
it is not practical because of the burst mode transmission
characteristic of the C-S signal in all 406 beacons.
[0009] Replacing the 121.5 MHz homing transmitter with a homing
signal close to the main frequency, for example 406 MHz, would
result in:
[0010] 1. reducing the cost of 406 MHz beacons;
[0011] 2. eliminating the need for a second transmitter;
[0012] 3. eliminating the need for a dual frequency diplexer;
[0013] 4. eliminating the need to match to an electrically short
antenna;
[0014] 5. reducing the problems currently experienced when users
hold their EPIRBs;
[0015] 6. reducing RF interference problems in location protocol
beacons; and,
[0016] 7. reducing L band interference generated when using
aviation radios.
[0017] In summary, the search and rescue beacon according to the
present invention includes a main transmitter transmitting a
Cospas-Sarsat signal at a main frequency and an auxiliary homing
transmitter transmitting a homing signal at a homing frequency
close to the main frequency. Advantageously both the Cospas-Sarsat
signal and the homing signal are generated by a single synthesizer
switching between a main Cospas-Sarsat burst transmission and a
continuous homing frequency transmission of the homing signal. The
homing signal is advantageously transmitted at a lower power than
the COSPAS-SARSAT signal. The single synthesizer may use a single
amplifier chain. The single synthesizer and amplifier chain may use
a single antenna.
[0018] In one embodiment, the main frequency is 406.028 MHz and the
homing frequency is dedicated in a lower part or in an upper part
of a 406-406.1 MHz frequency band.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
[0020] The present invention is an emergency beacon that uses a
homing transmitter that is close in frequency to the 406 MHz used
by the international COSPAS-SARSAT (C-S) satellite system for
search and rescue. The emergency beacon may be an Emergency
Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB), an Emergency Locator
Transmitter (ELT), or a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) or any
combination of these, or any other beacon that utilizes the C-S
satellite system.
[0021] Conventionally the main 406 MHz C-S signal is a medium power
burst transmission. Each transmission has a duration of
approximately half a second and occurs approximately every 50
seconds. The homing signal is transmitted continuously except
during the C-S signal transmission. In the present invention the
homing signal is a low power signal that is close to 406 MHz, for
example using the lower or upper part of the 406-406.1 MHz band for
a dedicated homing frequency. The C-S signal and the homing signal
efficiently use the same synthesizer, antenna, and amplifier chain
with slightly different biasing. Using a low cost synthesizer, the
transmitter frequency can be shifted between the C-S main signal
and the homing signal very easily and with great accuracy. It is
intended to be within the scope of this invention that the SAR C-S
frequency may be other than 406.028 MHz and that the homing signal
frequency may be other than in the 406-406.1 range so long as
within the available bandwidth for a particular SAR C-S
frequency.
[0022] As seen in FIG. 1, which is intended to illustrate merely
one embodiment according to the present invention and not intending
to be limiting, master oscillator 10 provides an oscillating signal
to a single synthesizer 12. The single synthesizer 12 outputs a
burst signal at the SAR C-S transmitter frequency
(now-conventionally at 406.028 MHz), and, alternatingly, a
continuous homing beacon signal, for example at 406.075 MHz,
illustrated in FIG. 1 as C-S/homing signal 14. A controller 16
provides the necessary control signals 18 to synthesizer 12 to
select between the C-S frequency or the homing frequency. In the
embodiment illustrated, the signal 20 from the synthesizer is
modulated by a modulator 22 to insert information generated by the
modulation generator 24 as required. The C-S signal is modulated by
modulator 22 so as to include the signal information allowing each
beacon to be uniquely identified. The homing signal is modulated as
necessary such as digitally to include any information deemed
valuable, swept tone audio, steady tone audio, or any combination
of these, or no modulation at all to facilitate homing by a
suitable receiver.
[0023] The modulated C-S signal or homing signal is amplified by
amplifier stages 26. The controller 16 provides a control signal 28
to the amplifier chain to select medium power (for example 5 W) for
use when the C-S signal is transmitted or low power (for example 50
mW) for use when the homing signal is transmitted. The C-S signal
or homing signal is then transmitted by the antenna, illustrated by
way of a monopole antenna 30, it being understood that the desired
form of antenna may take a different form as would be known to one
skilled in the art.
[0024] As will be apparent to those skilled in the art in the light
of the foregoing disclosure, many alterations and modifications are
possible in the practice of this invention without departing from
the spirit or scope thereof. Accordingly, the scope of the
invention is to be construed in accordance with the substance
defined by the following claims.
* * * * *